Eternity Brand

Chapter 11: Distress

It was finally the day of reckoning...

The mixer...

"Lisa! Lisa, stop please!" I cried in agony.

"Keep going!" Flo shouted as she pinned me down to the ground.

"I feel kind of bad now."

"There is nothing to feel bad about, Lisa. She looks so cute!"

After two hours of hair and makeup, they finally released me from their grasps. I looked like one of the glamorous girls from my school with my curly hair and makeup. I even tried on fifty different outfits. It was not until Lisa and Flo came up with a mix of a mid-thigh mini pink circle skirt, a white tank top accented with a large pink bow centerpiece and a navy blue blazer with white trimmings.

"Not bad, Lisa."

"I can say the same to you."

"That was the best stack of bills I ever spent."

"I feel completely exposed to the world," I exaggerated.

"What an exaggeration," Flo said. "You look beautiful. Take pride in our work!"

"I must say that you make my heart skip a beat," Lisa said with a flushed expression.

Someone hand this girl an Oscar...

"That does not sound right coming from a girl," I said honestly.

"You are really beautiful," Flo said once more. "I sometimes wonder how I have such a beautiful girl as my friend."

"You exaggerate."

"You must be loved very much," Flo said with a smile. "God himself blessed you with good looks!"

"Really?"

Lisa hugged me tightly from behind as if she knew everything and continued to act like she did not know anything. She whispered softly, "If you ever want us to tell you how much we love you, we will always tell you without fail."

"Come on. Go, you will be late at this rate."

"Ugh... Fine. I will go," I said as I headed out.

I was getting some strange stares from people as I walked down the streets. I must look awfully strange...

I met up with a group at the designated karaoke bar. The organizer was a senior from another school and seemed really nice to talk to. I mostly kept to myself. Everyone else were talking about movies that I have not heard about, so it was quite difficult to jump into the conversation. At this point, I am just waiting until I can go home.

A girl sitting right next to me tapped my shoulder.

"Hi?"

She had short black hair and bangs swept to the side. She wore a red short sleeved shirt with a black skirt and long black and white striped suspenders. Her eyelashes were naturally long and her makeup was very light compared to the others. She was a rather cute girl with skin as almost fair as Flo.

"I'm Sofia," she said as she held out her hand.

This seems quite formal... I took her hand and shook it.

"I'm Cana. It's nice to meet you."

"You are very pretty..."

She seems nice, but what is this ominous feeling?

"Thank you..."

"You have such lovely skin," she said as she dug her long nails into my hand.

I pulled back immediately but found that my hand was already dripping with blood.

"What..."

"Oh my! I didn't mean to do that... Are you alright?" she asked as she grabbed a napkin.

This girl is dangerous... That was obviously intentional no matter how I look at it.

"I... I'm fine. I'm going to go to the bathroom," I said as I left quickly.

What is wrong with that girl? Why on earth did she do that? I don't remember ever seeing her before...

I washed away the blood with some soap and water. I already asked people working at the front desk for some bandages, so I should be fine. The bathroom door flung open again and Sofia came through. She kept her hands behind her back as if she were hiding something.

"I feel bad about earlier. I thought I could come help you..."

"I don't need your help," I said as I backed away slowly.

"I see... What a shame."

"Who are you?"

"Come on... I introduced myself earlier. I'm Sofia."

"Stop with that horrible act."

She stopped smiling at this moment and started to glare at me.

"...I see. You finally caught on. I'm someone who doesn't like you."

"What did I ever do to you?"

"What did... It was your grandfather."

"My grandfather?"

"Your grandfather is quite the mean one... He drove my parents to commit suicide because of their debts! We did everything to survive, yet he—"

"And?" I interrupted her with.

"And? What do you mean by that?"

"I have nothing to do with your parents. What do you want me to do about it?"

"That may be so, but you are special to that man... I saw you entering his home. I found out later that you are his favorite granddaughter through some digging. If something happens to you, he will be very sad. That will teach him what it is like to lose an important family member! Just do me a favor and disappear!"

"I have no intention of listening to your absurd request."

"I see. Then die..."

The knife she hid behind her back came in to show. She lunged towards me with it. I dodged from the side and smacked the knife out of her hands. I then clasped my hands together and elbowed her in the sternum. She tried to reach for the knife again until I kicked it aside and stepped on her back until she stopped moving.

"What a weak girl..."

I went and took out my phone and called His personal cell.

"Hello?" my grandfather answered.

"It's me. Your game has gotten a bit too far..."

"I have no idea about what you are talking about, Child."

"That's a lie. Sending a little girl to come at me..."

"Haha! Fine. You got me! She is the same age as you. How did it go?"

"I knocked the mouse unconscious. I request the use of your dogs to bring her to the warehouse," I said as I took a zip tie from my purse and zip tied her thumbs together.  I am going to administer Judgement on her."

I have another name that I am called by.

"Oh... How scary. There wasn't a shred of mercy in your voice, Punisher."

"I am not forgiving towards those who threaten me with my life..."

"Understood. I'll send my men to your location."

"Thank you," I said as he hung up on me.

"Revenge is stupid, Sofia. This is exactly why I don't want revenge... Revenge is always bitter. There is no sweetness even after you accomplish it. I'll have you know exactly what it means to get revenge on someone."

Flo, you're wrong... I'm a hateful creature.
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To be continued...